Reconditioning electronic unit



June 28, 1938; L. c. STRl NGER RECOND'ITIONING ELECTRONIC UNIT 5Shts-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1937 Inventor Attorneys June28, 1938. 1.. c.STRINGER RECONDITIONING ELECTRONIC UNIT Fi led May 7 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet2 I Attorneys Patented June 28, 1938 RECONDITIONING ELECTRONIC UNITLouis C. Stringer, Chicago, Ill., assignmto Elec tronics Supply Corp., acorporation oi Delaware Application May '1, 1937, Serial No. 141,313

6 Claims.

' My invention relates generally to a process or method of rejuvenating,rebuilding, and recoilditioning electronic units of the type whichinvolve a glass envelope, globe or tube, and particularly to a processor method of this character which reconstructs the unit'to originalstandards in every respect so that the same will meet all specificationsand requirements imposed by commercial and governmental agencies such asare imposed on originally manufactured units of the same character, andan important object of my invention is to provide a simple, practical,and workable method or process of this character which can be performedwith suillcient facility and at a sumciently low cost to make theoperation of such method or process commercially feasible on a largescale.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a readingof the following description taken in connection with the drawings,wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodimentof the invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 shows an .electric light bulb which is to be rejuvenated,rebuilt and reconditioned in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 10; illustrates the completion of the first step or operation inthe process wherein the base of the bulb is removed.

Figure 2 illustrates the next succeeding step.

in the process or method, and shows the removal of the tip on the tubeenabling removal of the gas within the globe of the bulb and the savingof the gas.

Figure 3 illustrates the third step in the process and shows the neckportion of the globe several from the main portion of the globe, thesevered portion carrying with' it the mount.

Figure {1 illustrates the fourth step of the procas which involves theadding of a cullet to the main portion of the globe, after which theglobe is serviced for cleaning and other purposes, the mount removed inthe preceding step being before,.during or after this operation,serviced for reconditioning, restoration or rejuvenation.

' Figure 5 illustrates the insertion of the repaired or substitute mountin the main portion of the globe equipped with the cullet, the exces-.sively elongated wire conductors and tube of the mounting being showndepending therefrom.

Figure 5a illustrates the result ofsealing the mount in the culletportion of the globe, in which condition the mount is sealed in theglobebut the'conductor terminals and the tube remain ex- ,posed andunsealed and of excessive length.

' mercial scale.

Figure 6 illustrates the condition of the unit at the completion of theexhausting of the globe or the filling thereof with gas followed bysealing of the tube accompanied by foreshortening of the tube and of theconductors to the proper length for reception of the base.

Figure 7 shows the base in process of being applied to the resultant ofthe operation illustrated in Figure 6, one of the conductors being shownas soldered to the center contact of the base and the other conductor tothe upper part of the side wall or ferrule of the base, and showingassembling cement, from which condition the unit is brought byapplication of the base to the globe, to the condition illustrated inFigure lot the drawings.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the various steps andoperations involved in the present process or method.

The present invention contemplates the opening of the glass globe orother envelope of any electronic unit, the replacement or reconditioningof the filament mount or other mount present in the globe and acting inconjunction with a gas therein or with a vacuum, and the subsequentrestoraltion of the globe or other envelope to its original form anddimensions, in such a way that the restoration cannot be detected byordinary inspection, and the restored unit will meet all specificationsand requirements. laid down by governmental and commercial agencies fororiginally manufactured units of this type. The invention furthercontemplates the dis-- mantling of electronic units of the typeindicated with a minimum of destruction of the units so as to require aminimum of rebuilding, thereby not i only reducing the cost anddifficulty of rebuilding and restoration, but malring such rebuildingand restoration possible and practical on a com- Present attemptedmethods of rebuilding, rejuvenation, reconditioning and restoration ofelectronic units involve the destruction of the units and a botching ofthe operation of restoration, so that the resultant of such processeswill not meet all of the specifications and requirements laid down bygovernmental and commercial agencies for originally manufactured unitsof this type. Certain other processes ofthis general character known tothe applicant. closely approach although they do not reach suchcompleterestoration as is necessary to meet original specifications andrequirements, but these have proven to be impractical because ofexcessive cost and difiiculty of performance ofthe operations involved.

The process or method of the present invention stated in specific termsinvolves:-

I. Debasing which involves the removal oi the base or bases from theglobe, the term "base" including any form or arrangement whereby theglobe is supported and electrical connection is made with the electrodesor filaments in the interior of the globe; and the term "glocontemplating any form of glass .envelope surrounding and enclosing thefilaments or electrodes. The debasing operation is desirably andnecessarily performed in such a way as to'pro'duce the least possibledestruction, and a suitable way, of doing this is to melt the cementwhich holds the base to the globe to such an extent as will render thesame non-adhesive and permit ready and clean separation 01 the base fromthe globe. A suitable way of performing this is by arranging a simplereversal of the original process of originally applying the base to theglobe, and standard machines are available on the market for such basingoperations. Reference to Figure 1a of the drawings shows the removal ofthe base from the globe, in the performance of which the. globe,

5 and the base 6 are moved in opposite directions to achieve thenecessary separation and detach the conductor 1 and the conductor 8 fromtheir soldered or other connection with the ferrule of the base so as toexpose the tip 9 of the tube l and at the same time expose the seal iiat the bottom of the neck portion l2 of the globe 5, from whichcondition the next step in the process involving,

II. Opening of the tube and removal and saving of the gas, is performedThis step involves removing the tip 9 from the tube iii in such a waythat no destruction of the tube takes place. Figure 2 of the drawingsillustrating this step shows the conductors I and 8 bent up out of theway of mechanical means applied to the tube ID 'to remove the tip 9.Uponremoval of the tip 9 the gas which may be in the globe is removed,and where economy is a consideration, this gas is saved by utilizing forthe evacuation of the gas a machine of which several types are availablein the priorart. This operation or step prepares the unit for the nextoperation which is designated,

1-H. severing removing the lower portion M from the globe 5, whichremoval is accompanied by the removal of the mount which. is generallydesignated it and which is still attached to the portion M.

This prepares theunit for the next step or operation-which has twoaspects described as,

IVa. Adding the cullet to the globe and servicing the globe Thisinvolves providing a cullet which is generally designated i6 and whichis in the form of a tube of glass of the same diameter and gauge as theneck portion l2,of the globe and having a flaring lower end i], andattaching the cullet by, glass-welding of the upper end of the neckportion I! of the globe so as to make an invisible joint on the line Itas illustrated in Figure 4 or the drawings. The cullet I6 is of asuiilcient length to make up for the removal of the lower portion ll ofthe neck portion of the globe, and to provide sumcient glass for theoperations required in the below described step V and entitled Sealingin". The bulb 5 with its cullet adjunct now forming one piece isserviced for cleaning and other conditioningby the application theretoof suitable chemicals by suitable steps and operations known in the art,and either preceding or following this step No, there is performed step,

I Vb. Service of mount which involves either the replacement by a newmount oi the mount removed from the globe orthe repairing,reconditioning, rejuvenating or restoration oi the original mount by therepair and replacement or reconditioning oi. the various electrodes,structural elements, vacuum or other containers or tubes, or whatever isinvolved in the particular type of mount of the particularelectronic-unit being worked upon, so that afterv the handling of themount involved in step IV]:

and the preparation of the globe by the addition ductors l and 8'relative to each other, by any suitable mechanical means, as illustratedin Figure 5 of the drawings, followed by application of such heat and insuch manner as will procure formation at the cullet l8 to a contracteddiameter on a levelwith' the flange II of the mount l5 and the joiningof the glass of this portion of the cullet with the glass oi the flangeH; which condition is followed by the application of suitable moulds andpressure to bring the glass into the rounded and tapered shape indicatedby the numeral l8 duplicating the shapeof the original globe at thispoint, and to provide the seal li' duplicating the seal II in theoriginal bulb. Having produced these conditions, the tubulation l0 andthe conductors I and 8' depend below the seal II' as indicated in Figure5a of the drawings, and this makes the unit in process of restorationready for the step of VI. Exhausting or filling with gas which involvesthe application to the tubulation IQ of suitable mechanical means foraccomplishing the exhausting of the bulb to produce a vacuum therein grto introduce the desired gas into the bulb, and the sealing pf the tubeill to produce the tip 9' exactly corresponding to the tip 9 of theoriginal bulb whereby the vacuum or the gas is sealed in the restoredglobe. At the same time or immediately after the completion of theseoperations the conductors i and 8 are cut to the proper length forattachment to the base which is subsequently applied in the next step ofthe process. It should be mentioned at this point that in either steps Vor VI suitable electrical current may be applied to the conductors l.and 8 to eiiect the drying of the interior'of the globe 'in any manneror for any purpose prior to or subsequent to the production of thevacuum or the fillingof the globe with gas. The next step is i v11.Basing which involves the application of the original baseii or of a newbase, if desired, to. the restored globe by the usual operation ofbasing such as is reversed in the step I of the present process,'andwhich involves the use and application of a quantity of cement 68- inthe base and the soldering or other attaching of the conductor I to thecenter contact is of the base and the soldering or other suitableattaching of the conductor 8 to'the upper part of the ferrule 20 of thebase as illustrated in Figure '7. This figure shows the approach of thebase to connection with the lower part of the globe, and the cement inplace, and the conductors attached as mentioned. The basing or theapplication of the base to the globe or permanent attachment thereto isaccomplished in any suitable manner or by the use of a standard basingmachine, so that the final product is exactly like the original bulbshown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and as stated meets all specifi-'cations and requirements commercial and governmental for electronicunits of the type worked upon. This is followed by step,

VIII. Aging, testing and flashing which involves aging by theapplication of suitable electrical current by connection of suitableconductors to the base 6, the said current being of a lower intensitythan that for which the electronic unit is designed to carry ordinarily.The testing involves all of those tests which are required to be appliedto ascertain whether the unit meets the specifications and requirementsmentioned herein. The flashing involves the application to the unit of agreater current than i that for which it is adapted ordinarily, all ofthe operations of aging, testing and flashing being well known in theart.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts, andin the manner of forming and manipulating the same in the various stepsand operations involved, within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a method of rejuvenating, reconditioning and restoring anelectronic unit involving a glass envelope having a base connected toone end thereof and carrying a mount, the steps of removing said base,then severing the base equipped end of the globe from the main body ofthe globe so as to remove the mount from the globe, then providing acullet and glass-welding the same to the opened end of said globe.

2. In a method of rejuvenating, reconditioning and restoring anelectronic unit involving a. glass envelope having a base connected toone end thereof and carrying a mount, the steps of removing said base,then severing the base equipped end of the globe from the main body ofthe globe so as to remove the mount from the globe, then providing acullet and glass-welding the same to the opened end of said globe, andforming the cullet so as to contract the same on the mount afterreplacing the mount in the cullet-equipped globe and restore the baseequipped end of the globe and the position of the mount to thespecification of the original unit.

3. A method of conditioning an electronic unit for restoration andrejuvenation purposes wherein said unit comprises a glass bulb having abase connected thereto through the instrumentality of a neck carrying afilament-equipped mount, the

steps consisting in first removing the base, secondly, severing themount-equipped neck from the reduced neck jointing portion of themainfrom the ing the base, tapping-the mount-equipped neck of the globe tosalvage gas therein, severing the mount-equipped neck, substitutingtherefor a cullet glass welded to the main body of the globe, replacingthe mount inthe globe by way of said cullet, subjecting the outer end ofthe cullet'to a sealing-in operation by conventional means, andreplacing the base on the thus completed cullet.

5. A method of preparing a used glass globe for rejuvenation,reconditioning and restoration purposes wherein said globe includes abase and mount-equipped neck, said method consisting in removing theneck by severing and detaching the same to allow the mount to beextracted, and replacing the discarded portion of the neck with a culletof predetermined dimensions, said cullet being open ended, of prescribedthickness and of a length to allow the inner end thereof to be glasswelded to the opened end of the globe.

6. The method of repairing and salvaging the bulbous body and associatedneck portion of a used incandescent lamp globe and reclaiming the latterfor re-use either for original bulb manufacturing or for reconditioningand restoration assembling, wherein said globe includes a base and amount-equipped neck, said method consisting in removing the neck bysevering and thereafter detaching the same to allow the mount to beextracted for inspection and repair, and then replacing the discardedportion of the neck with a substitute cullet to restore said globe andits neck to predetermined original specifications and dimensions.

LOUIS C. STRINGER.

